In front of a packed Bernlohr Stadium, the university’s football team beat Otterbein 35-31. This is the first time that the university has won a game since the 2021 season, in their 35-28 victory over Ohio Northern.
Homecoming weekend is always a special time for many college campuses. This weekend was made more special by playing our rivals, the Otterbein College Cardinals, in the Battle for the Oar.
Leading up to the game, there were various activities for fans to engage in. There were bouncy houses, tailgating, alumni celebrations and Hall of Fame inductions.
When the ball kicked off, the energy was electric. Capital started on defense and quickly stopped Otterbein’s offense. However, the Cardinals returned the favor by forcing the Comets to punt after five plays where they gained a first down, followed by a three and out.
For the remainder of the first half, the two teams traded off in scoring until Lorenzen Horace, a quarterback for Otterbein, rushed for a three-yard touchdown.
This score put the Cardinals ahead, with a score of 28-14 going into halftime. This was the turning point in the game.
James Curtis, a fifth-year linebacker for the Comets said the team had a strong sense of urgency, knowing they could perform better than they had.
He said, “28 points should have never been allowed the whole game, especially in the first half. We knew it would take everyone doing their job and executing to pull away with it.
A similar sentiment was shared by Nick Fisanick, who assisted on seven tackles and had one interception.
Fisanick said, “Some plays didn’t go our way, there were a few busts in our defense that allowed them to score. We kinda got down early, the vibe was a little low in the first half. Then in the second half, we came out, bounced back and dominated the second half.”
For the senior class, this was a particularly special game because they had never beaten Otterbein in their four years with the program.
Fisanick was excited to ring the bell. This is a tradition at the university where after a sports team wins, they ring the bell outside of the Cap Center.
The victory over Otterbein was also the first time the football team acquired The Oar, a trophy that is passed from team to team depending on the victors of the game.
As the team heads into a by-week, first-year quarterback Donovan Duncan thinks this is the momentum push the team needed to invigorate the second half of the season.
Duncan came off the bench for the Comets because starting quarterback Ben Everson was injured in the third quarter. Duncan passed for 144 yards on 16 attempts for one touchdown.
Duncan helped secure the victory by delivering the last two passes of the game to Mike Elmore, one of which was 42-yard dime on a 4th-and-17 conversion.
Head coach Brian Foos said, “We called a deep shot to throw it up to one of our guys, and somehow he went over three defenders and got the football and fought for it all the way to the ground. Just an unbelievable play.”
The duo was not done yet. Duncan connected with Elmore again with 27 seconds left on the clock for an eight-yard touchdown.
Elmore, who had a touchdown in the first half, thought the last two plays were his opportunity to redeem the missed targets he made earlier in the game.
Elmore said, “I just told myself I wasn’t coming down without the ball. I knew how much this game meant, especially to our seniors.”
In a game of many firsts, the team and fans were overcome with joy.
Foos said, “I’m so proud of the guys–I’m so proud of the way they fought until the end. It was just a great team win.”
After the team’s by-week, the team will visit the Mt. Union Raiders, who are currently ranked second in Division III.
The team is not daunted by this fact, rather they believe that the win over Otterbein will be a game they can look back on to remind themselves of what they are capable of.
